


'Til I Get It Right

by aries_antagonist



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, House Party, Humor, M/M, Oneshot, Romance, Social Media Tropes, Soft-suke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:54:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28382019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aries_antagonist/pseuds/aries_antagonist
Summary: Oh my god I forgot how beautiful you are when you smile.“Hn,” was his eloquent response._________Sasuke's mouth and Sasuke's brain are always saying two different things.Sasuke's POV, SNS, AU, Oneshot, Complete!
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 12
Kudos: 117
Collections: Extraordinary SNS Fics💕, Foxy fox 🦊, Sasunaru fics to live for





	'Til I Get It Right

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this feverishly in six hours. I'm pretty happy with it. Sasuke is my favorite clueless, anger boy with no idea how to express himself. I _might_ have made myself cry. 
> 
> -Sasuke's internal thoughts are _italicized_
> 
> -CW for alcohol use and marijuana use and some implied Jiraiya slander
> 
> -If you're confused about the rules of King's Cup, I can include them in the notes at the end, let me know! I'm not sure if it's a well known game outside of the states. They're pretty universal (though I do not abide by the misogynistic version, six has always been "dare" and four has always been "touch the floor" in my household) 
> 
> Please let me know what you think! <3 <3

## xXx

_6 p.m., Friday_

“Wow, I’d rather do literally anything else, thanks.” Sasuke didn’t bother looking up from his laptop. The fan was pointed directly at him, blowing his long jet-black bangs away from his face as he plodded away at his ‘World Religions’ final.

Karin wasn’t having it. She leaned across the low coffee table and slowly pushed the Macbook shut. 

“You. Are. Going.” her reddish brown eyes bore into his. 

He hated this. Living with Karin was an impossible balancing game. The woman was even more insistent than Naruto when she wanted to be. Sasuke got away with not speaking and eating his meals alone in his room most days, but at a cost. Karin, the wild extrovert she was, had decided his payment for his near constant isolation was accompanying her to a party when the urge struck. The urge was ‘striking’ much more often now that she was single again.

“Can’t you find someone to go home with more easily if I’m **not** there? This paper’s only halfway done and I still have to register for next semesters courses.” his tone was neutral but his fractionally widened eyes were pleading.

“Believe it or not, Sas, this is for you.” she replied with a slight huff. Karin stood, pulling her shoulder-length flaming hair over her shoulder and leaving the room. Not turning back, she shouted, “Besides, I know a certain **loud** , blonde cousin of mine will be there!” 

_Oh._

“So the screaming is **genetic**!” he called back, his resolve crumbling. 

## xXx

  


_Three hours later_

He leaned back into the headrest and let the setting summer sun wash over his pale face. Long fingers played absentmindedly with the silver chain flush against his neck while Karin eased her pickup truck into an empty spot along the residential street. The aging engine rumbled, still audible above the ‘hype’ music she insisted upon for the drive. 

Her tanned arm pulled the gear shift up into park and as she pulled the keys from the engine, Sasuke took in his long-time friends’ appearance. 

“You look...good.” 

Karin gasped exaggeratedly, splayed fingers clutching at her chest. She glanced comically out both windows, “Is it the end of the world? Did I just receive a quantifiable compliment from Sasuke Uchiha?” 

He flipped her off, but he had meant it. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, showcasing the smooth skin at the base of her neck. She had opted for a open-neck loose cotton blue shirt, tucked into the wide waistband of a very trendy pair of fitted black cargo pants, non-functional straps wrapping the legs. Even without makeup or accessories she was objectively stunning. 

They fell into a comfortable silence as Karin lit a small joint, inhaling deeply before passing it over. He brought it to his lips with a short draw, glancing out the window to make sure no one was approaching the pickup they were hot-boxing. 

“What, nervous?” she teased. 

He stilled his hands, realizing he had been adjusting his shirt collar a hundredth time.

“The fuck? No.” _Nothing this joint won’t fix._

Karin simply shook her head and laughed before extinguishing the joint in the mason jar at her feet. They both slid out of the truck and walked towards where the reverberating bass originated at the top of the small hill. As they neared the house, Sasuke could begin to make out a distinct splash of someone jumping into (or being pushed, considering the playful shrieking) the pool out back.

Now at the base of the long driveway, he considered that this was his last opportunity to run. There were easily 80 people here judging by the porch occupants alone, which was about 79 more people than he could imagine ever enjoying a conversation with.

“Kaarinn! Ohhh, you brought your hot vampire roomy!!!” a tall girl with cascading platinum hair and what was probably only just legally considered a shirt shouted, stumbling from the porch to greet them. _Anddd there goes my escape plan._

“Ino, babe, wow you are **drunk** honey,” Karin wrapped her arms around the blonde who leaned into the hug with her entire body, “and contrary to popular belief, he’s human. Just anti-social...and gay.” He leveled her with a look that would have sent the average college student running, she simply rolled her eyes and chuckled, planting a wet kiss onto Ino’s forehead before allowing the drunk girl to pull them towards the throng of bodies on the porch. She turned her head back before disappearing and winked at Sasuke, “Have fun!” 

He let out a breath of resignation and made his way inside. 

_Might as well find the alcohol._ He sure as fuck wasn’t ready to face everyone sober.  


Sasuke had thrown himself into his studies his sophomore year of college, his own slightly masochistic way of coping with the sudden loss of both his parents. It was like a bad dream; one night he was on the phone with his parents during their weekly check in and the next they were just gone, forever. They were hit by a drunk driver on their way home from the movies while Sasuke was away at college. And that was it, no chance for goodbyes and no final words, just gone.

So, in true Uchiha fashion, he overbooked his course-load and had moved up his anticipated graduation timeline. It was not because he couldn't cope. And it was _certainly not_ because he was avoiding a certain blonde he had known since childhood and their larger friend group. _If he was avoiding them, he would have removed himself from the group chat,_ he rationalized. 

He knew they meant well, but their presence alone brought back painful memories. The last time he had seen anyone besides Karin was just after the funeral, over half a year ago. He hadn’t been the most social person to begin with, but he knew everyone was getting concerned. It was just in the past few months he had begun to speak with his brother again, and even more recently that he had actually ‘unmuted’ the chaotic group chat his friend’s blew up his phone with.

A broad, calloused hand waved in front of his face, successfully interrupting him from his thoughts. Some part of him had sensed the familiar presence, and instead of acknowledging the arrival, he turned into the kitchen and grabbed a beer with a twist-off cap from the ice cooler on the counter.

“Wha!? I haven’t seen you for over six months and this is the greeting I get!?” Naruto’s hand shot out to lace easily around Sasuke’s lean bicep, the strikingly warm touch sending a full-body shiver into him. 

_Fuck, I missed you._

“Naruto, we talk like, everyday,” he didn’t, couldn't, quite turn to meet his friend’s piercingly blue eyes and took a long sip of the cheap, but thankfully ice-cold, beer. The grip on his arm tightened slightly as he swallowed, and when he was finally able to look up at Naruto’s face, he thought he could see a slight flush to the already warmly tanned cheeks. 

_Huh?_

“Oh, haha yeah, I guess if you count the group chat. But I’m still happy you’re here!”

_Oh my god I forgot how beautiful you are when you smile._

“Hn,” was his eloquent response.

Naruto just laughed again, his radiant smile stretching his trademark whisker-like birthmarks further across his face. He raised his own drink to his mouth but as an unfamiliar giggling couple jostled into his side, it spilled all over his front. 

“Ohhhhhmygodddd I’m sooo sorry Naru!!” the taller person apologized before releasing the other, frantically looking around the kitchen for something to remedy the spill with.

“It’s seriously no problem,” he eased, and simply-

_That’s it, this man is going to kill me._

____

____

-peeled the drenched long-sleeve off before tossing it aside, baring an impossibly toned chest and that _fucking spiral stomach tattoo_. The giggling couple had already moved on, probably back to discovering a solution for permanently securing their mouths to one another.

“It’s hot as shit anyways,” Naruto reached for another beer from the counter, his abs flexing casually with the stretch before motioning them out of the room. “C’mon, everyone wanted to play a game.” 

_No thanks, I’d rather keep you to myself right here. ___

____

____

“Ok.” Sasuke followed the half-naked man back into the sea of bodies.

## xXx

  


_Twenty minutes later_

_Where the fuck did Naruto go._ Sasuke had managed to instantly lose the golden-haired man in the roaring crowd. He thought to grab for his phone to text the man but it was so tightly packed in the room that he couldn’t reach behind him. Giving up on his search inside, he lightly pushed his way through the inebriated dancers towards the back door, clutching his drink securely to his chest. 

“Seven!” a shrill voice he immediately recognized as Tenten’s shouted from the back patio. He let the door swing shut, the slightly cooler but still humid evening air washing over him. As he neared the familiar group seated around a small smoking table, everyone shot an arm in the air. 

“Shika, buddy, are you even paying attention?! Drink!”

“Ah shit,” the sardonic brunette took a sip from his beer.

Sasuke assumed an empty seat at the end of the table, and Naruto glanced across the table at him, a small crooked smile playing on his lips. “Glad you found us, I didn’t mean to lose you. We’re playing King’s Cup!” he supplied.

“Yeah you better catch up, nerd,” Karin waggled her eyebrows from two chairs away, her arm still possessively wrapped around Ino’s waist. It appeared a few of his friends had gotten...close with each other in his absence. Shikamaru, clearly uninterested in the game, had one hand laced with Temari’s and the other holding a massive joint. Suigetsu, to his left, was balancing a quiet blushing girl Sasuke had never met on his lap while struggling to high-five Karin. The other half of the players just seemed intent on the game. 

“Uh, if Shika doesn’t go, I’ll take his turn.” Kiba pulled the next card from the deck, holding up a five. Everyone around the table raised three fingers. “Oh, okay...never have I ever...been not straight.” 

“Are you fucking five years old?” Neji lowered a finger with a disdainful shake of his head.

“Thank god, on behalf of all gays, we don’t want you,” Karin retorted, lowering a finger before chucking an empty beer can at him. Kiba raised his hands in apology as it struck him in the forehead, eliciting several chuckles around the table. 

Sasuke lowered a finger, not noticing a set of eyes follow his movement. It was his turn. “Never have I ever...I don’t know, dyed my hair,” Sasuke finished boringly. He wasn’t very good at these games. 

Suigetsu seemed prepared when his turn came, “Never have I ever passed out drunk off two beers in the bed of my cousin’s pickup truck,” he was staring directly at Naruto, “and **was so blacked out** that I didn’t notice when said cousin drove the truck a state over to visit her girlfriend.” The circle erupted in a laughter, Karin doubled over and gasping for breath at the memory. 

Naruto’s jaw-slacked dramatically, pointed at Suigetsu before shouting, “I’m feeling **targeted!!** ” Sasuke bit the side of his cheek to quell his own laughter before looking up at the blonde across from him. Naruto shook his head, grinning, and lowered a third finger-

_Wait hold up, a third finger? When did that happen?_

-before upending a shot of what appeared to be vodka into his mouth. “Alright, I lost that round,” he chuckled, wincing slightly at the taste. A breeze came through the yard, ruffling the mans soft golden locks. Sasuke swallowed thickly. Naruto held up an eight, “What is eight again?”

“Mates! Pick someone, and they have to drink whenever you do,” said Tenten.

“Oh okay, uhh,” Naruto looked hesitant for a second, “Neji?” Neji smirked in response and together they raised two refilled shot-glasses to their lips. They lowered the glasses back onto the table with a soft clink and Sasuke noted as their shoulders _very unnecessarily lingered_ where they touched. Something hot and unpleasant boiled in his throat and he tore his eyes away. 

_When the fuck did they get so close_ , Sasuke seethed. Deep down, he knew he was being petulant. He was the one who had pulled away from everyone, he had no right to demand everything stay just how he had left it. But that was **deep down.**

 _Did Karin know about this? If so, why would she bring me here to witness?_ He dared a glance up at his roommate, but she was busy whispering something into Ino’s ear.

“Hellooooo, Sasuke! You still playing?” Suigetsu shoved his arm, ripping Sasuke back to his current, slightly tragic, reality. Looking around, he saw everyone’s palms on the floor. “You gotta drink, man.”

“Oh, uh yeah,” Sasuke ran a hand through his hair and grabbed a shot glass from in front of Kiba, downing it. He felt the alcohol starting to catch up with him a little as he raised a card to the group, a Queen. He looked up to find Neji’s hand half on his own knee and half on Naruto’s. “Okay, yeah questions. I’ve got one,” not bothering to hide his bitter tone. Naruto’s swimming blue eyes followed his gaze to the affronting hand before snapping back up, “Do you have something you wanna tell me?”

Naruto leaned forward, instantly on the defensive, “Oh, is my best friend talking to me again?”

“Are you planning on avoiding my question?”

“Are you planning on being a **bastard** all night?” 

Someone to Sasuke’s right groaned, muttering, “Do they know they can ask a question to anyone?”

_I should probably be careful-_

But Sasuke’s mouth had long since given up on waiting for his brain. “Why did you even ask me to come out here if you were so **occupied**?” he snapped bitterly. 

“What are you even talking about?”

“As if you don’t know.” Sasuke shouted back before abruptly standing from the table, knocking a half full beer bottle on the ground beside him in his hurry. He moved past it and out into the yard, ignoring the objections behind him. 

Suigetsu called after him unhelpfully, “Hey! That wasn’t a ques-” He didn’t need to turn around to know the loud thud that followed was Karin reaching over to sock her sharp-toothed friend.

The sounds from the party faded slowly as he stomped deeper into the surprisingly large property, still seething. The night had cooled rapidly and he could make out a few stars in the darkening sky. He ducked under a standalone pine tree and sank down onto the soft bed of needles. 

_I don’t think I’m ready for this, seeing everyone again so soon._

____

__

He leaned forward, balancing his slightly spinning head onto his knees. He crushed a handful of soft pine needles in his fist and let them slowly fall from his palm. With his hand emptied and his small, slightly faded, palm tattoo now visible, he felt his anger all but fizzle away. His lips pulled ever so slightly upwards, not quite enough to be called a smile as he recalled the day he had gotten it.

## xXx

  


_Six years earlier_

“Shh!” Sasuke hissed, clapping his palm over Naruto’s mouth, biting down on his lip painfully to stop his own laughter from erupting. If they gave away their hiding place now, it was all over for them. He tried to slow his breathing.

“Naruto, Sasuke,” Itachi whispered ominously, his cold dark eyes methodically sweeping across the room, “I know you couldn’t have run far. And when I find you, you’re both going to regret this prank for the rest of your short little lives.”

Sasuke tried to shrink back a little further under the bed, relaxing slightly as he watched Itachi’s slippered feet head back towards the bedroom door. Glancing at Naruto to his left, he noticed the blonde was wearing a strange, pained expression.

 _Oh fuck._

“ACHOO!” Naruto’s sneezed at the same moment Itachi’s chest hit the floor, arms bent like a fucking predator. His older brother was wearing what could be only be described as a feral grin.

“FUCKING RUN!” one or both of them shouted as they rolled out from either side of the bed, launching to their feet and booking it out the bedroom door. Itachi was mere feet behind them in deadly chase. Sasuke skipped several carpeted stairs at once, Naruto opting to slide down the banister. Hitting the ground floor running, Sasuke heard Naruto scream behind him. He turned in time to see the blonde wriggle out of the jacket Itachi’s murderous grip had made purchase in. 

The boys rounded the corner into the kitchen, Naruto’s sock covered feet allowing him to slide into safety behind Sasuke’s mother. 

“Mom! Protect us!” Naruto begged, peeking his head out from behind the unconvinced woman. 

Mikoto cracked a warm smile at the blonde fifteen year old hiding behind her, looking back up at Sasuke and then beyond him at a seething Itachi as he slowly entered the kitchen. “I don’t know, boys,” she mused, quirking an elegant eyebrow, “what did you do to poke the bear?”

Itachi clearly wasn’t above snitching, “These two thought it would be funny to cut two holes in the...chest area...of all my t-shirts.” 

Sasuke could have sworn he saw his mother fight a smile. She coughed a little into her hand. 

“Oh...oh,” she couldn’t make eye contact with Itachi. Gathering herself and moving Naruto in front of her with both hands on his shoulders, “Well, I’ll leave you boys to sort it out amongst yourselves. Just be back in time for dinner, I’m making onigiri and pork curry. Naruto, you’re welcome to join as always.” She straightened her apron before turning back to the counter, effectively throwing Naruto and Sasuke to the wolves.

“Yeah, uh, I’d love to if I’m still breathing later,” Naruto replied.

Itachi lowered his gaze at the two. Naruto gulped loudly.

“Come with me. Now.” Itachi commanded lowly. The two teenagers followed him, accepting their impending doom silently. Sasuke still thought it had been worth it to knock his perfect brother down a peg, if this is how he died. They climbed in the car. Sasuke immediately regretted locking eyes with his co-conspirator as they both fought to swallow another laugh, immediately turning to look out their respective windows for the ride.

“Itachi, are you actually going to kill us?” Naruto inquired hesitantly as the car finally slowed, nervously pulling at his collar.

“Something even more satisfying. Now, get out.” 

And that’s how, two hours and several tears (all Naruto’s) later, Sasuke had emerged from Akatsuki Tattoo with an aching palm, and a moon to match Naruto’s sun.

## xXx

  


_Present day, ten minutes -ish after walking into the yard_

Sasuke glanced once more at his palm, the memory effectively sobering him. He recalled with a small shake of his head that when Itachi had then gone to change his and Naruto’s Facebook status to ‘married’ (“Who needs rings when you having matching tattoos, otouto.”), he had also cautioned them that changing it back would result in their actual death. 

He pulled out his phone and pulled up his account, a little surprised he remembered his password. Sure enough, they were still ‘married’. Below the life update were over a hundred ‘likes’ and a few comments from years ago:

**“Knew it.” (Shikamaru)**

**“Gayyyy” (Kiba)**

**“Please can I watch.” (Sai?)** _What the fuck?_

But there at the bottom was one he had never noticed before. 

**“Aww! I love you both so much! Congrats ;)” (Mikoto Uchiha)**

And a response, **“Love you, too! You’re def invited to the wedding!!!! :P” (Naruto)**

Sasuke shut his phone and let out a shaky breath just as he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. 

“You’re an idiot, you know,” Neji chided from where he stood a safe distance away.

Sasuke growled, his anger abruptly returning, “You’re the last person I wanna see right now.”

Neji sat down in place, clearly not interested in getting any closer. Sasuke watched as the lithe, expressionless man leaned back onto his palms, assuming a disinterested pose.

“Where’d your boyfri-”

Neji cut him off, “I would rather be picking out dresses at the mall with my annoying cousin than talking to your selfish, mopey ass right now, but I already came over here and you’re gonna fucking hear me out.” Sasuke was effectively shocked into silence, a first. Neji hadn’t said as many words to him in the whole time they had known each other. The brunette pulled a joint from his pocket and lit it before continuing, “Do you think you were the only one who lost two parents six months ago?”

Sasuke had heard enough, “How dare you ta-”

“No, you know what **fuck you, Uchiha,** ” Neji spat through a cloud of smoke before leaning forward to hand the joint to Sasuke, “Mikoto and Fugaku were Naruto’s parents too. His so-called ‘guardian’ was shit, yours were the closest thing he had to a family and he loved them.”

Sasuke numbly took the joint. _Had he really not considered that his friend could be hurting just as much as he was?_

“So you took the opportunity to swoop in when Naruto was vulnerable and made your move on him?” Sasuke sneered, pushing down the rising guilt in his stomach.

“I am moments away from beating the shit of you, Uchiha. Why do people call you the smart one?” Neji’s face contorted into something like disgust. “As if I ever had a chance with Naruto,” looking at Sasuke with a pointed glare. “I was just there as his friend, since his best friend was nowhere to be found during one of the hardest times of his life.” The furious brunette leaned forward and snatched the joint from Sasuke’s now trembling hand, before falling back into the grass with a soft thud. 

Neji didn’t bother up to look up at him, “He’s upstairs, Uchiha.” He added, somewhat wistfully, smoke wafting from his lips, “And if you leave him again, I sure as fuck won’t make the same mistakes you did.” 

Sasuke didn’t hesitate to take off running towards the house. 

Tamping down all the conflicting emotions his brain was firing off, he tried to navigate through the crowd towards the staircase he remembered seeing on his way in. The smell of alcohol had greatly intensified since he had left the main room and the music volume had, mercifully, increased, drowning out his thoughts.  
He vaguely scanned his surroundings, looking for Naruto, as he ascended the stairs two at a time. Not looking up in time, he didn’t see the other person at the top of the landing until they collided.

“Fucking watch it, emo boy.” 

Sasuke wasn’t even in the mood to correct the stoned girl, moving past her down the hall. _Who’s house is this?_ he wondered before stopping at the closed door at the end. He knocked hesitantly, leaning into the door, “Usuratonkatchi?” He heard movement in the room. 

A soft chuckle, and then a rough voice spoke from within the room, “I’m not really in the mood to fight with you, bastard.”

“Naruto, please let me in,” Sasuke pleaded softly, resting his forehead against the wood.

“The door's unlocked,” Naruto challenged and Sasuke thought he heard the slosh of a bottle. He opened the door slowly, peering cautiously around the side. Naruto was sitting on the edge of a bed, looking away from him at a row of pictures along a dresser, a bottle of whiskey sagging in his left hand. Sasuke shut the door softly behind him and moved closer.

_I am such a fucking asshole._

“This is depressing,” was all his stupid mouth said out loud.

Naruto let out a humorless chuckle and tilted his head in agreement.

“Yeah.”

Sasuke sat down beside him on the edge of the bed, careful to keep a few feet between them. His breath caught in his throat when he took in the pictures Naruto was looking at. He grabbed the bottle from Naruto’s hand and took a swig, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Do you remember that day?” Naruto asked, pointing at the frame closest to them. Itachi had taken it, Fugaku leaning forward with his arms around Sasuke and Naruto’s shoulders proudly, still in their high school graduation caps. His mother had stepped out furiously when she had found out Naruto’s alcoholic godfather hadn’t shown up to the ceremony and had, consequently, been absent for the photo.

Sasuke returned the bottle, eyes softening as he looked up at his friend. “Yeah, Dad insisted he wasn’t allergic to shellfish at the celebration dinner and wouldn’t stop eating it, so you had to be the one who finally wrestled the plate away from him so we could call an ambulance,” he replied. 

A real, joyful laugh escaped Naruto this time and Sasuke had to look away. 

_You really are the sun._

Naruto took another drink and laid back carefully onto the bed, his free hand reaching behind his head to cradle the back of his neck. He still, apparently, hadn’t managed to put on a shirt. Not that Sasuke necessarily minded. 

Not sure of what else to say as a slightly uncomfortable silence fell over the room, Sasuke grabbed the bottle back one more time and roughly drank, not caring when some spilled onto whoever’s bed this was. Naruto sat up suddenly.

“Come on,” Naruto stood and grabbed Sasuke’s hand before pulling him out of the room and down the stairs. Sasuke blamed the alcohol for his inability to pull away.

## xXx

  


_A whole five minutes later_

His body was buzzing. Sasuke definitely wasn’t a lightweight, but by now he had been drinking for hours and the weed certainly wasn’t helping. He felt **good,** a feat considering the last six months. Sasuke’s slightly glazed charcoal eyes were locked on the strong, tanned hand encircling his wrist. Had he not been staring, he might have noticed where the mischievous blonde had taken him.

“And this is for being an asshole all night,” Naruto chuckled darkly before swinging Sasuke around and tackling him into the pool. Sasuke scrambled to reach the surface and broke back through with a gasp, whipping his head around. 

When he finally shook the water from his vision, he lunged after the cackling blonde, reaching an arm around to pull Naruto into a choke-hold. But the fox-like man reversed their positions easily and shoved Sasuke roughly into the side of the pool, bringing his forearm up against Sasuke’s neck. 

The other party-goers had long since gone back inside or home, leaving the two of them panting roughly alone in the lukewarm water. 

The evening air thickened, Sasuke could hear it crackle above the ambient party sounds. 

Sasuke tried and failed to pull his gaze away from the parted, pink lips inches away from his own. Naruto’s breath on his face was warm, and smelled like whiskey and something sweet. Droplets of pool water fell from the blondes’ soaked strands and slid down the man’s face. One fat droplet crested his small cupid’s bow and Sasuke all but lost his mind when Naruto’s tongue darted up to catch it.

_I’m in way too deep._

The stars were sparkling overhead now, dotted reflections streaking the choppy water lapping at the pools edges around them. They both spoke at the same time.

“Naruto-” 

“Sasuke, I-”

Sasuke was determined to not let his mouth win this round, and effectively silenced himself by closing the distance between their parted lips. 

Naruto froze. 

Just as Sasuke was about to pull back and _simply pass away_ , Naruto pushed back into him, whatever internal debate he was having clearly over. The forearm pressed to his throat had moved away and Naruto was now gripping the small hairs at the back of Sasuke’s neck, pulling him further into the kiss. 

He heard, _no, felt_ Naruto moan into his mouth and a shudder danced through his limbs. Sasuke tilted his head, slotting their mouths together as if they were made to be that way. 

He couldn’t believe this was happening. He greedily moved his hips forward as their mouths worked a rhythm all of their own. He felt Naruto’s hand release his rough grip in Sasuke’s hair and then there were tentative fingers at the hem of his soaked shirt. 

_Naruto Uzumaki, the only person I have ever had eyes for, is trying to take my shirt off._

Sasuke was unable to speak, but nodded his head at the darkened eyes looking down at him hungrily. The taller man pulled the shirt up, keeping their eyes locked together until the shirt was over Sasuke’s head. Naruto peeled it up off Sasuke’s arms but abruptly wrapped it over Sasuke’s face before pinning his arms to the wall of the pool.

Sasuke should have seen it coming, Naruto never missed an opportunity to prank someone, even apparently if he was moments ago locking lips with that person. His heart sank a little.

But the prank never came. He felt lips brush his chin through the soaked fabric before a forehead came to rest against his own.

Naruto spoke in a gravelly whisper, “I missed you, bastard. I really wanted to be there for you. I wish you had let-”

“Naruto, I’m sor-”

“No, shut up, please.” the hands pinning Sasuke’s arms tightened slightly, “I- I can't do this with you looking at me. With you-with, um, your eyes. I don’t want you to apologize. Yeah, it sucked without you. But-” Naruto’s voice shook and Sasuke longed to pull his friend into him again. He felt warm breath through the shirt as Naruto steadied himself. “But even though I felt like I lost another mom and dad, you really did. And you needed time. And that’s okay," he paused with a small sigh.

"It was selfish of me to miss you, and I knew that Karin was making sure you ate and stuff but I wanted it to be me-”

“I love you.” Sasuke thought. 

Slowly, his arms were released. Sasuke wrenched the fabric over his head, tossing the shirt aside, desperate to see what had caused the blonde to stop talking. 

Naruto’s misty eyes were wide and full of some emotion Sasuke couldn't place and Sasuke realized with horror that this time his brain had, _of course it works now of all times_ , actually synced up with his mouth. 

Before he could rescind his confession, Naruto pressed both of their bare chests together and shoved his mouth against Sasuke’s, their teeth clacking painfully. The taller man in front of him laughed sheepishly before bringing his head back down, softer this time, brushing his lips back and forth across Sasuke’s mouth tenderly. Sasuke had never known the idiot- _his idiot_ , he thought possessively- to be so gentle. 

Naruto’s mouth kissed to the side of his lips, before moving along to Sasuke’s cheek. He pressed soft, warm kisses to his jaw, moving down to suck at the sensitive spot underneath Sasuke’s Adams apple. When he felt teeth softly graze across the spot, Sasuke heard himself release a soft gasp. Naruto laughed darkly, lathing his tongue along Sasuke’s collarbone before biting down sharply again. Sasuke bucked his hips forward, his whole body was on fire. Naruto returned the motion, grabbing Sasuke’s hips roughly and pulling him forward again through the water. 

Ever the clumsy idiot, Naruto lost his footing and stumbled backwards and they ended up submerged again. When they both emerged gasping for air, it took everything in him to not just confess again at the sight of his blonde. Naruto was the definition of a wet puppy. His hair had finally given into gravity’s insistence and was plastered to the sides of his face, dripping onto his slouched shoulders. He was trying to suppress his shivering, but even Naruto’s kiss-swollen lips were starting to turn slightly blue.

_You are the most beautiful idiot in the world and I’m never letting you go again._

“C’mon, lets go back upstairs,” was all he said as he interlaced their palms, moon over sun.

## xXx

  


_Not more than six hours later, aka entirely too early_

ˆ  
A loud ringing woke Sasuke from a deep sleep. The window to his left let him know the sky was still a dark hued-pink, sun not quite over the treeline yet. _What fucking time time is it._ Sasuke reached for- 

This was not his bed. And there, on his chest was a lightly snoring head of blonde hair, Naruto’s arm wrapped securely around Sasuke’s side. 

Memories from the long night before came rushing back. Would Naruto remember what had happened when he woke up? Not that **much** had happened after the pool. They both had made a half-assed attempt at drying off before passing out in the bed, still damp , still smelling like chlorine and whiskey and each other. 

_Did I cross a line last night?_

“Sas, wha- hello?” Naruto had pulled Sasuke’s phone from the bedside with his free hand, not moving his head from where it was pinning Sasuke. The raven-haired man resisted the urge to face palm as he took in his surroundings. This was Naruto’s room, _hence the photos of Naruto with Sasuke’s family everywhere oh my fucking god I’m an idiot. Hence the orange comforter on the bed he spilled whiskey on last night. Hence the parties and the vibrant energy and there not being anything other than beer and ramen in the kitchen. Hence the all-encompassing, down-to-your-core feeling of **home**_. He had forgotten that Naruto’s lease at his old spot had expired a few months ago. Another thing he had to apologize for later.

****

“No, sorry Itachi I’m Naruto not Sas-” Naruto drawled, still half-asleep. Sasuke gently took the phone from Naruto’s hands, fighting the urge to laugh, and held it to his own ear. 

****

“Nii-san. Do you realize how early it is?”

****

“I just felt a congratulations was in order, otouto. Now, go back to sleep. Say hello to Naruto for me later,” Itachi purred in his slightly smug tone before hanging up.

****

_Huh? How does he already know-_ Sasuke’s thoughts were interrupted by a steady stream of notifications on his phone.

****

**“Karin Uzumaki ‘love’ reacted to your status update.”**

****

**“Neji Hyuuga ‘disliked’ your status update.”**

****

He cautiously opened his Facebook, unabashedly nuzzling into the warmth of Naruto’s bare torso wrapped around his own. The sun was just over the treeline now, the sky ablaze with a brilliant gradient of pinks and oranges. 

****

He lifted his screen closer.

****

_Oh._

****

At the top of his notifications, “Naruto Uzumaki is no longer married to Sasuke Uchiha.”

****

Next, “Naruto Uzumaki is in a relationship with Sasuke Uchiha.” 

****

And below that, “Naruto Uzumaki tagged you in a photo.”

****

Sasuke felt the sleeping man beside him shift, pulling Sasuke’s back flush against his warm, toned chest. He smiled secretly before clicking on the photo Naruto had apparently posted sometime last night.

****

It was the one they had taken with the shaky film camera’s self-timer after an exhausting hike just two years prior. Mikoto insisted they get a photo at the top, (“Photos or it didn’t happen!” he could hear in her bright voice.) Naruto hadn’t quite made it back to his place when the flash went off, the photo capturing him slightly blurry and wide-eyed running towards the group. Itachi was doubled-over in laughter, Shisui holding him up. Mikoto was laughing so hard she was crying, clutching Fugaku’s side. Sasuke was shocked to see that the photo had captured himself with a small smile, eyes locked onto the blonde.

****

Beneath it, the caption read, “This was a really good day. I hope that wherever you are, Mikoto, Fugaku, you are climbing all the good mountains and that every day is summer and all of the food is made by the best Japanese chefs and maybe you’re with my other parents if that’s alright and you get a clear view of the rest of us down here. I think we’re doing alright. Hoping that since you're gone now @Obito Uchiha is ready to step in to save me from @Itachi Uchiha. I love you. P.S. I'm sorry I never told you before but uhh... It was definitely me that broke the handle on your fridge that one time, not Shisui.”

****

Sasuke set his phone down with a small breath of laughter, and turned in Naruto’s arms. The sunlight was pouring into the room now. Sasuke brought his lips to Naruto’s forehead. 

****

_Thank you._

****

****


End file.
